Q: What do I do about sexual assault and mental abuse in a previous relationship?
It was in Michigan. I was 16 and he was 24 when it started. It continued for 2 years. He would make me feel guilty for not wanting to have sex and would threaten to cheat on me if I didn’t do things. When he cheated, held a gun to his head and begged me to shoot him when he told me. I tried to leave him and he slit his wrists and sent me a picture. Every argument was my fault. He called me every name in the book. He spit on my face multiple times, he punched me in the face twice, he gaslit me, he made me practice loading and unloading guns, he would sit by the window with guns and aimed them at cars he deemed suspicious and told me to stay out of view of the window, he would walk down the streets with a bulletproof vest and illegally conceal carrying a pistol because he thought random people on the street would try to kill him, he didn’t want me going anywhere alone or going out with friends or family because he couldn’t “protect” me.
A:
Hopefully you have removed yourself from this situation. It sounds like your ex suffers some mental illness. Even if so, it doesn't excuse that treatment.
What your question does not indicate is whether you two were legally married. By the ages, I'm assuming not. There may be civil actions you could take, but those would depend on how much time has passed due to statute of limitations. Generally, the law requires someone to take action in a reasonable amount of time; if too much time passes, then you may be left without relief.
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